Keyserling Explains Why He Snubbed Ludwig, Says He Has No Anti-semitic Bias

Resentment at the way his mother-in-law, the Princess Bismarck, was described in the biography of the Iron Chancellor, and not anti-Semitic prejudice, was the cause of his unwillingness to meet in the United States his fellow-writer and countryman, Emil Ludwig, was the statement made by Count Keyserling, who is now on the Pacific Coast, in a telegram to his New York manager.

“My attitude toward Emil Ludwig,” Count Keyserling telegraphed, “is simply the result of his inaccurate and un-justified statements in his book on Bismarck about the Princess Bismarck, my mother-in-law. Ludwig refused to change the text in his book after being informed of the true facts.

“Nothing could be more foolish than calling me anti-Semitic in my prejudice,” Count Keyserling said in his telegram. “In Germany I am often attacked as a philo-Semite. As a matter of fact I greatly admire the Jewish people. I consider them the one cultured race which has not degenerated since antiquity. You will find this opinion of mine contained in my new book Europe’ which is to be published in America next month.”

The following telegram was received by the New York “Times” from Emil Ludwig who lectured this week in Detroit.

“If Count Keyserling deems it proper in a letter to an American lady to express without reason his antipathy toward another German author my training as a common citizen forces me to decline to have any controversy with this nobleman while in a foreign country where we are both guests. Emil Ludwig.”